Research Suggests Pets Dying Can Be Just as Hard as Losing Loved Ones?

It's often claimed on social media that the death of a pet may be just as difficult as losing a dear friend or family member.

Some posts, for example, cite an unnamed study that supposedly found "losing a dog can be just as hard as losing a loved one."

"Study shows that losing a dog can be as hard as losing a loved one"
byu/KaptainObvious28 inDogfree

Other posts, too, have credited the alleged finding to unspecified research. Meanwhile, reputable publications like the BBC, Discover Magazine, Psych Central and The Harvard Gazette have published similar sentiments.

Over the decades, psychologists have studied how pet owners respond to their animals' deaths, and their findings have shifted over time. In the '90s, research suggested grief from pets dying versus grief from human loved ones dying was not the same. However, more recent peer-reviewed studies state otherwise — that losing a pet can be as hard as losing a loved one.

All of that said, the type or amount of grief from a pet dying can depend on many factors, such as a person's mental state, livingsituation, age and the circumstances surrounding the pet's death.

'Levels of Grief Severity' are Similar, Research Shows

For decades, psychologists have studied how the deaths of pets affect owners. With that, the body of research on the subject has grown in recent years.

Recent studies have affirmed the claim. For example, in April 2020, a peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Death and Dying analyzed online discussions related to pet loss, as well as those related to human grief. The researchers compared the type and frequency of certain words used and found that, for both human and pet deaths, words "related to anger, sadness, and negative emotions were used at similar frequencies for all grief." People verbally express grief from human loss in much the same way as pet loss, the study found, suggesting that people experience the same emotions in both cases.

Similarly, in 2018, Australian psychologists found there were "no significant differences between the levels of grief severity" in people who experienced a pet or human death (emphasis on "severity"). However, there were other types of differences between the two types of grief. This, they suggested, highlighted the "importance of therapists acknowledging and validating companion animal grief."

In 2019, researchers used a survey called the "Mourning Dog Questionnaire" to quantify the grief of people whose dogs had died. They found that pet owners tend to humanize their pets and perceive their animals no differently than they do humans.

Other Factors That Influence Grief When Pets Die

Pets can provide an important source of comfort and companionship, sometimes supplementing or substituting for human relationships or taking on a role similar to that of a human child.

When pets die, the way people grieve can depend on many factors, including how the pet died. Studies show owners whose pets died by accident or through natural causes experienced more grief than those whose pets died by euthanasia.

A pet owner's gender may also play a role. For example, one study found females experience more anxiety over the death of an animal compared to males.

Research also shows pet loss can be traumatic for children and lead to subsequent mental health difficulties, especially when pets feel like members of the family. In these instances, feelings around the loss of a pet are similar to what they'd feel, or have felt, with the death of an important human in their lives, according to 2020 research.

On the flip side, losing a pet may help a person experience profound growth, according to 2017 research. Pet owners who undergo immense grief over the loss of their animals may experience posttraumatic growth (PTG), or positive changes that happen following highly challenging life crises, the study found.

Earlier Studies Found Less of a Connection

While recent research suggests losing a pet can be as impactful as losing a human loved one, earlier research suggests otherwise.

In 1993, researchers concluded the death of a pet was "not associated with depressive symptoms to the extent of deaths of a significant person especially that of a spouse."

Another study in 1999 emphasized how people's relationships with their pets are unique, with characteristics that aren't present in human connections:

The relationships that are developed with our pets often become expansive. They can determine the way we lead our lives and even define the quality of our lives. We make individual choices about what we want our pets to be and the kind of relationship bond we have with them. In making them an intimate part of our lives, we open ourselves up in a way that does not occur with others. In short, this relationship is a unique one. When the time comes for us to let go of these beloved creatures, we are usually not prepared for the onset of emotion and sense of loss that accompanies their passing.

Let us note here: The studies cited in this article are not meant to be comprehensive. The impact of pets' deaths on their owners remains an ongoing research topic, and experts say it requires further investigation.

If you are grieving for a pet and looking for help to manage your feelings, The Humane Society of the United States offers resources, including:

• The Pet Compassion Careline provides 24/7 grief support with trained pet grief counselors.
• Lap of Love provides grief courses and 50-minute one-on-one support sessions with a grief counselor.
• Everlife Support Groups offer help by state. 
• The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement hosts support groups, which are available at specific times throughout the week.